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Spell of the Week – Aura of Purity

Status conditions often have an impact that mere damage can’t quite match. While this makes them great tools for players to take advantage of, it means that few things suck quite as much as running up against foes that make heavy use of them. Unless, of course, you have a friendly Paladin with an Aura of Purity up.

As with the other Aura of… spells, it buffs every non-hostile creature within 30 ft. and lasts for well over the length of a standard battle. While it’s active those allies are immune to disease, have resistance against poison damage and make saving throws against most negative conditions with advantage.

If you’re running up against foes that love to use poison or rely on paralyzing their victims to be effective then this spell can turn a desperate battle into a cakewalk. Most Drow, for example, will fold like tissue paper if they try and take on a Paladin with Aura of Purity – unless she fails a concentration spell, of course.

Another place where this spell can really shine is when the party is battling evil lycanthropes. All the various forms of lycanthropy are classed as diseases, so while the spell is up you can ignore them completely – though whether or not you think that being unable to become a werewolf is cool or not probably varies from player to player.

It’s not without a couple of issues, of course. For one thing, even though it’s only a 4th-level spell Paladins only get the half-caster spell progression so won’t actually be able to get hold up it until comparatively late in the game.

For another there’s the fact that like most buffing spells it requires concentration, and even a beefy Paladin with a good CON score is going to fail one eventually if they’re sitting on the frontline and tanking blows.

All in all, however, it’s a great way to dramatically reduce the difficulty of some particularly obnoxious encounters and seriously stick it to some specific enemies. In most circumstances there will be something better to do with the slot, but when you really, really need it you’ll be happy the Paladin thought to prepare it (and forgo some potential smite damage!).

Rating: B

Overall a very solid spell that sets out to do one thing and does it very well indeed, hindered only by the late point at which a character will get hold of it.

Aura of Purity

School: Abjuration

Level: 4

Casting time: 1 Action

Range: Self (30-foot radius)

Components: V

Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

Purifying energy radiates from you in an aura with a 30-foot radius.

Until the spell ends, the aura moves with you, centered on you. Each nonhostile creature in the aura (including you) can’t become diseased, has resistance to poison damage, and has advantage on saving throws against effects that cause any of the following conditions: blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, and stunned.